review – Page 4 – Thirsty South

August 27, 2013August 22, 2013

Cayrum: Review and Tasting Notes

Last week, I mentioned Kane Family Rum Company’s Cayrum as part of an unusual cocktail with Whynatte and Fernet-Branca. Now, here’s a bit more on Cayrum itself. As mentioned, the company is based here in Atlanta, though the rum is distilled, aged (three years in bourbon barrels) and infused with local Dominican honey and ginger in the Dominican Republic. The distilling is overseen by master rum blender Victor Eugenio, in a distillery owned by Jose Antonio Barcelo, a member of one of the three well known Dominican rum families (the others are Brugel and Bermudez – together they make up “the 3 B’s”). Rum is serious business in the Dominican Republic, but Cayrum is more about sharing what many Dominican locals do with the rum after they’ve bought it.

I met up with Zach Kane, who, along with his father, helps run the business. He explained a bit about how his family came to make Cayrum, and why. They had been making a similar concoction for years at their vacation home in the Dominican Republic, just for friends and family. As they shared it, they realized how much everyone seemed to appreciate this unique spin on rum, and also realized that there could be great opportunity to introduce this kind of local Dominican infusion to the states. They tried all kinds of recipes before settling on a 3 year aged rum as the base, and even considered opening a distillery in Georgia before realizing that they couldn’t beat the quality and history of Dominican rum.

In essence, Cayrum is simply rum infused with honey and ginger. It’s primarily meant to be imbibed chilled, by itself, but it also works well as a sweet and spicy component in cocktails or mixed simply with complimentary drinks like iced tea or (for ginger lovers) ginger beer. Cayrum has been available in Georgia for a bit over two years now, has made its way to New York, and is expecting distribution soon in Colorado and Texas. So, on to the tasting notes.

Kane Family Rum Company Cayrum, rum infused with honey and ginger
80 proof
Approx. $20-$25 retail
Tasting Dates: June-August, 2013

Cayrum shows a bright medium amber color in the bottle. When you pour it out, the somewhat thick but not yet syrupy body is evident . On the nose, the ginger hits you first, not overly powerful, but very present. Burnt honey/Bit-o-Honey undertones come in, and some warm wood notes, too.

I much prefer this over ice rather than neat. Neat, it comes across a bit too sharp – a bit too much burn from both the alcohol and the ginger. Over ice, Cayrum is indeed quite full in the mouth. The ginger is prominent, starting off with a warm rush then kicking into a tingling spicy almost-burn. There’s something mildly medicinal, maybe a touch soap-y, lurking in the background. There’s no denying that Cayrum is sweet – both the rum and the honey bring a syrupy, raisin-y character to it that comes in behind the bite of the ginger. The finish is long, both spicy and sweet, with a touch of heat.

I’ve played around with Cayrum a good bit – you can mix it with ginger beer for an extra ginger-y Dark and Stormy. It also works well with ice team and lemon, or, for something a bit more unusual, blood orange soda and a squeeze of lime. Really, you can use Cayrum in any aged rum-based cocktail where you might want an extra hit of sugar and spice. It can also take the place of a ginger liqueur like the King’s Ginger or Domaine de Canton.

Thirsty South Rating: Good Stuff* For ginger lovers – Cayrum is a home run. For everyone else, it’s a unique spin on rum that is fun to experiment with in mixed drinks or simply enjoy sipping cold over ice. Like a quick trip to the Caribbean.

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* Thirsty South Rating Scale:

Wow – among the very best: knock-your-socks-off, profound, complex liquid gold!
Excellent – exceptional in quality and character, worth seeking out, highly recommended
Good Stuff – solid expression of its type/varietal, enjoyable and recommended
Fair – fairly standard or exhibiting obvious though minor flaws
Avoid – move away folks, nothing to see here, a trainwreck

Full Disclosure: Tasting sample was provided by Kane Family Rum Company.

February 23, 2013February 23, 2013

Bulleit 10 Bourbon: Review and Tasting Notes

The challenge:
Scrap the whole tasting notes/review format and condense it down to 140 characters (and keep it at least mildly interesting).

The subject:
Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 91.2 Proof, approx. $45/bottle

The Tweet-length review, exactly 140 characters:
Bulleit 10: Orange-blossom banana cedar bark nose. Cinnamon dark wood heat a bit too sharp. Caramel red hot finish. Good stuff, but pricey.

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* Thirsty South Rating Scale:

Wow – among the very best: knock-your-socks-off, profound, complex liquid gold!
Excellent – exceptional in quality and character, worth seeking out, highly recommended
Good Stuff – solid expression of its type/varietal, enjoyable and recommended
Fair – fairly standard or exhibiting obvious though minor flaws
Avoid – move away folks, nothing to see here, a trainwreck

Sample (and photo!) was provided for this tasting.

December 13, 2012December 15, 2012

Epic Tasting Night: rare bourbon & whiskey

What is one to do when a friend sends samples of six rare whiskies? Savor just one at a time, patiently focusing on one a night? Or line ’em up, compare and contrast, push and prod (and yes, savor, too)? I chose the latter, and it made for an epic tasting night.

I won’t go into great detail here on the backstory of each of these whiskies – for the most part, these are not bourbons you are going to find on the shelf of your local store – some were direct from the distilleries’ gift shops, some are limited releases that barely see the shelf, and one is a very special release celebrating the 30th anniversary of one of America’s leading craft distillers. I (almost) feel bad even talking about them, since there’s not much you can do other than to make a mental note in case you ever come across one of these bottles.

In addition to the samples pictured above, I also threw in two comparison bottles – good old Pappy Van Winkle 15 year old (bottled in 2008) and a last year’s version of the William Larue Weller, just to see how these samples stacked up against two proven bourbons.

To help compare and rate these whiskies, a friend (Decatur Wine & Food Dude) and I split them up into two groupings of four – one grouping with the wheated whiskies and a wheated/rye blend, and another grouping with the other whiskies. We sipped and circled back to compare these outstanding whiskies to each other. Here are a few quick notes, with each whiskey listed in order of personal preference on this particular night. I must say, we were surprised at how well some whiskies came across, and at how others couldn’t quite keep pace:

William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 2011 Release, 133.5 Proof, approx. $70 retail
Rating: WOW*
The bourbon of the night – this William Larue Weller came across as a class above, with a nose that sings with power, citrus in the background keeping it real. It is STRONG but in balance. Staggeringly good bourbon of the highest degree. Showing even better now than it did when I first opened this bottle last year.

St. George Single Malt Whiskey, 30th Anniversary Edition, Bottle 689/715, 94.6 Proof, approx. $400 retail
Rating: WOW
This is an incredibly unique whiskey, and one that stands apart from any bourbon as a wholly different animal. The nose is that of an aged riesling auslese (seriously, if you told me this was an old riesling, I would have believed you), floral, nutty and sweet, with a prominent note of pears. The pear brandy barrel aging dominates here (in a very good way), like a great caramel pear dessert. Unique and delightful.

Four Roses Single Barrel, 13 years and 10 months old, Warehouse NS, Barrel 16-4B, OBSK (35% rye), 126 Proof, approx. $70 retail
Rating: WOW
This Four Roses is very refined, with a somewhat shy nose, but one that speaks of elegance and harmony. There’s a bit of wood here, but baking bread comes to the fore, subtle candied orange, floral notes, and a fruity sweetness that holds the heat in check. This is pretty, lively stuff, not nearly as powerful as the Weller mentioned above, but almost as impressive in its own way. Beautiful.

Elijah Craig, 12 years old, Barrel Strength, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 128.5 Proof, approx. $75 retail
Rating: WOW
This one outperformed expectations, even though I am a fan of Elijah Craig. Heavy spice and gingerbread on the nose. With some water, the caramel and orange notes emerge more strongly. Deep brown sugar/caramel, the strength is well integrated, and with water (again) becomes velvety smooth and thick. This is a prototypical/textbook great bourbon. Very impressed.

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 15 Years Old, 2008 bottling, 107 Proof, approx. $70 retail
Rating: WOW
Well, Pappy didn’t win on this night, but still showed well. Not dissimilar to the ’11 Weller, this Pappy showed a darker, deeper harmony, but didn’t reach the same heights.

2012 Parker’s Heritage Collection Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 131.6 Proof, approx. $80 retail
Rating: Excellent
A notch below the previous whiskies, the 2012 Parker’s has a hot, cinnamon nose that is dominated by the heat of its barrel proof. Candied apples and a fruity profile set it apart, though, as a nice bridge between sweet and spicy.

William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 2012 Release, 123.4 Proof, approx. $70 retail
Rating: Good Stuff
The 2012 did not show nearly as well as the 2011, with a more muted nose. Sweeter up front, and sharper through the finish than the 2011. Water brings it into balance, but this simply did not compare to the 2011 version. Still good, but not up to expectations.

Four Roses Single Barrel, 17 years old, Warehouse QS, Barrel 78-2C, OBSV (35% rye), 101.6 Proof, approx. $70 retail
Rating: Good Stuff
Maybe the most disappointing sip of the night, this one felt a bit tired, with a much more muted nose and an herbal/cough-drop quality. It starts out very smooth, with mint and fruit notes, but the finish is hot and tannic. Too much time in the wood?

So, an epic tasting night. Some amazingly good and rare whiskey. Thanks especially to Jason at Sour Mash Manifesto for his generosity.

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* Thirsty South Rating Scale:

October 22, 2012April 18, 2016

Two $10 Bourbons: Old Charter 8 & W.L. Weller Special Reserve

After posting my favorite picks for “best value bourbons,” suggestions for bourbons I didn’t mention came flooding in, of course. The most emphatic was from a local liquor store owner who boasted that at $9.99 (at his store, of course), W.L. Weller Special Reserve is “the best value on the damn planet. Hands down… no arguments… FACT.” You’ve got to give him credit for offering a great price – I’ve seen W.L. Weller SR for up to $16 elsewhere. And his insistence spurred me to pick up a bottle of W.L. Weller SR to taste again. While I was at his store, he also pointed out that the 8 year old Old Charter was up there, too, in terms of value. It was also priced at $9.99 (and also goes for up to $16 elsewhere), but had a $4 rebate hangtag on the neck, so that made it $6 for an 8 year old bourbon. Now, when I find a bourbon whose price is lower than its age, I basically have to give it a shot, right?

So, with these two bottles, we have two inexpensive bourbons, around $10-$15 depending on where you buy them, both distilled by Buffalo Trace. One uses Buffalo Trace’s wheated mash bill (W.L. Weller – “The Original Wheated Bourbon”) and the other uses their mash bill #2 (Old Charter). W.L. Weller shares its mash bill with a bourbon that goes by the name of Pappy, not to mention the older Wellers, so it is in VERY good company. Meanwhile, Old Charter shares a mash bill with Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare and George T. Stagg. Again, damn fine bourbons.** (How does Buffalo Trace keep these so affordable??? I don’t know, but I thank them.)

While the W.L. Weller removed its 7 year old age statement not too long ago in favor of a Special Reserve label without any age statement, it’s pretty safe to assume that this is roughly 7 year old whiskey. Old Charter proudly shouts out its 8 years of age, though the fact that the label reads “gently matured for eight seasons” might lead an inquiring mind to wonder whether it might only be two years old! (Or does Kentucky only have one season per year??)

In any case, the point of all this is to put them head to head in a taste-off, and see if either would make my list of best value bourbons. Here we go….

W.L. Weller Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
90 Proof, $10-$16 Retail

Old Charter Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Aged 8 Years
80 Proof, $6 (with rebate good through the end of 2012)-$16 retail

First off, both of these bourbons show a similar, lovely orange-bronze color, the W. L. Weller is just a touch deeper. They each pour with some good body, not too thin.

On the nose, I’ll start with the Weller, and have to say I’m not really loving it – it’s a bit hot for 90 proof. There’s some banana, nutmeg, caramel undertones, then a touch of green/young grain. As for the Old Charter, the nose here is definitely smoother, deeper, with more caramel and oak, though not in a heavy way. There’s a sharpness to it that hints at the rye component, but not overtly. Old Charter definitely beats the Weller in pre-sipping impressions.

On to tasting, the Weller shows a nice balance on entry, good mouthfeel, plenty of buttery toffee and a bit more of that banana in the background along with some baking spice. This has a nice bite to it, with a long, pleasing warm finish. I have to say, it delivers much better than the nose would indicate. A bit of water or some time with an ice cube smooths things out on the Weller considerably, into a buttery, soft caramel that is nice though not very complex. The water also takes the heat off the nose, but mutes the other notes as well.

Meanwhile, the Old Charter carries a thicker mouthfeel, a bit flabby really. Butterscotch is the primary note when you taste it, less balanced and nuanced than the Weller, but with good drinkability. It’s a bit too one dimensional to me, with some slightly unpleasant sharpness on the finish. Not bad, but nothing that grabs your attention, and at only 80 proof, I wouldn’t add any water to this for sipping, though it would do just fine in a cocktail.

Overall, I give both a rating of Good Stuff* – in large part because they are both great for the price. If you’ve only got $10 to spend on a bourbon, these two are great options, and I lean to the Weller, with the caveat that it could use a touch of water or ice for sipping. Both are well suited for cocktails (in fact, Holeman & Finch, among the most esteemed cocktail bars in Atlanta, uses W.L. Weller Special Reserve as a well bourbon behind the bar).

It’s worth pointing out that both of these bottles are entry points for their respective brands, and for Buffalo Trace’s family of bourbons more broadly. From the Weller Special Reserve, you can step up to Weller Antique 107 proof or W.L. Weller 12 year old for older/stronger expressions; and from the Old Charter 8 year old, you can go to Charter 101 proof or 10 year old – all at a higher price, of course. It’s all about finding the bourbon that delivers best for your tastes AND your wallet.

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* Thirsty South Rating Scale:

** As for the Buffalo Trace mash bills, there is a bit of differing info from various sources online, none of which are 100% definitive. I’ve corrected my original post to reflect what I think is right for these two – any further corrections much appreciated!

October 18, 2012October 17, 2012

Tasting Notes: 2012 Sazerac 18 Year Old Rye

Sazerac 18 year old rye is an interesting spirit, a rare spirit, an epic spirit. It’s released just once a year as part of the equally epic Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, with just 28 barrels per bottling. Since at least 2006, the single source for this bottling has been a distillation completed way back in 1985 and put into stainless steel tanks sometime in (or after) 2003. So each year, the Sazerac 18 is the exact same whiskey, with the exact same time aging in oak barrels, but just a year older in the tanks. John Hansell over at Whisky Advocate reported on the details of this case a few years ago, pointing out that it was originally stored in a 13,500 gallon tank, then moved to three individual 2,100 gallon tanks to lessen the interaction with oxygen (though not treated with inert gas to completely stop oxidation).

Clearly, there is still interaction with oxygen – each year, the Sazerac 18 tastes a bit different, and each year, there is a bit more loss to evaporation, even in stainless steel. In 2007, the net loss from original barreling was 51.9%. In 2008, it jumped up to 54.1% (maybe that was when they moved tanks??). Then 56.1%, then 56.5%, then 57.3%, and now 57.6% with this 2012 release. Even still, the annual Sazerac 18 bottlings are kept at a constant 90 proof.

This is the one bottle I’ve secured so far out of this year’s Antique Collection, and it is, as expected, mighty impressive. Here are my notes, and a final thought at the end comparing the 2012 Sazerac 18 to my favorite well-aged rye.

Sazerac 18 Year Old
Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey,
Fall 2012 Release
90 Proof
Approx. $70 Retail
Tasting Dates: 10/08/2012-10/17/2012

Sazerac 18 carries a deep, red amber hue and an intoxicating smell that speak well to its age – deep and full. The most prominent notes on the nose are of dark brown sugar and the oil of an orange peel, that burst of slightly bitter but bright citrus you get when you squeeze a peel over a cocktail. Clove comes in to complement the dark sugar and citrus, and a vanilla-leather mustiness underlines it all. The interesting thing is, the age on the Sazerac rye mellows much of the rye character in the nose. Just a sniff reassures that this is no doubt a beautiful, mature, American whiskey, but the time in the barrel (and the tank) has dialed down the spicier rye notes.

Once you take a sip, that rye character does start to reemerge. The entry is sharp, the orange peel turns towards bitter orange, and evergreen-ish herbaceous notes assert themselves a bit more. There’s still a strong core that reminds me of Bit-o-honey candy, full of caramel-honey-almond, but this is not an overly sweet whiskey by any means. Also, it’s worth pointing out that, despite the advanced age, the oak here is fully in check. Sure, you pick up charred wood, but it in no way dominates the conversation.

The finish on the Sazerac 18 sings long and warm, with that sharp rye entry coming back to visit the roof of the mouth, a touch peppery, a bit grassy even. There’s that chewy Bit-o-honey quality also, lingering throughout.

As I’ve tasted this over the course of the last week and half, I’ve become more impressed with the 2012 Sazerac 18. It’s full of character and a fascinating and delicious drink for any whiskey lover, especially those who dig well-aged whiskey (without the overbearing oak that many well-aged whiskies tend to develop). Overall, I give it a full-on Wow* and highly recommend grabbing a bottle if you ever see it.

Now, as for how this stacks up versus other similarly aged ryes – my benchmark is the Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye, which I’ve compared previously to some other fine ryes. Tasting these two side by side is a treat, but I still give the edge to Van Winkle, which has a bit more rye character on the nose, and ultimately delivers a more harmonious balance through the palate and on to the finish. Either way, I wouldn’t pass up the chance to buy either of these epic ryes.

For a great deal of detail on this 2012 Sazerac 18 year old rye, please see Buffalo Trace’s excellent and much-appreciated info sheet.

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* Thirsty South Rating Scale: